fragile X

One of the things I love about my job is the continuous training I receive. And, unlike retail training I've experienced, it's not insulting or degrading, like those orientation videos you have to watch on your first day at Wal-Mart or a fast food joint. It's actually interesting.

Today, we had a training on Fragile X syndrome. Fragile X is a form of MR. Our instructor linked it to autism a lot. Although the subject was new to me, I've been to classes before. What made this class stand out was that the speaker brought her son who has Fragile X. At first this made me uncomfortable. It felt like she was bringing her son to show and tell as some anomaly. However, she ended up referring to him as a person rather than an illness to give a face to Fragile X.

I ended up talking to him briefly afterwards. It's weird. Years ago, back in Nebrasks, I went with my friend Sarah to a dance for the developmentally disabled people she was teaching. At the time, I was very nervous and I thought she was a saint for dealing with them. Now, I go out of my way to talk to people with disabilities because not everyone will.

About the picture, I didn't take it. I found it on-line when doing a google search for fragile X. It turns out that Chris Benoit, the wrester that killed his wife and son and then himself, well, his kid had fragile X. It's a sad world.